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[Mr Flash]

Hey there everyone! I JUST bought my 2007 335i on 01/22/2015. So far I absolutely love her! I just wanted to take her to a mechanic however, and change everything that should be. I don't know much about cars but when I went to add some coolant, it was bone dry. So that worried me a lot, now I'm wondering what else I should be checking on? Thanks for the help in advance!

[wildcatcrazy]

Hey there everyone! I JUST bought my 2007 335i on 01/22/2015. So far I absolutely love her! I just wanted to take her to a mechanic however, and change everything that should be. I don't know much about cars but when I went to add some coolant, it was bone dry. So that worried me a lot, now I'm wondering what else I should be checking on? Thanks for the help in advance! hope the water pump isn't bad and that you used either distilled water or BMW approved coolant.

[Mr Flash]

Aww crap -_- I used a cheap one in a yellow bottle from my father because I was so desperate... And I had used this coolant in my old car as well... Should I get it flushed by the dealership? Also, since it snowed... I saw blue liquid under my washer reservoir.. I believe I have a leak there. Would the BMW dealership kill me over fixing these things? Or just take it to my mechanic and buy the BMW coolant?

[Nikojt]

I would flush the coolant... Replace with distilled water and BMWs coolant (whatever mix it asks for, I don't know if it's premixed or not). Certain coolant can react with the block and cause corrosion.
As far as the blue washer fluid; yes it's usually expensive to get that fixed. If you have the adaptive light package and the washer system that washes the headlights the likely culprit is the actual headlight washer unit. I have a leak there, but it still works, so I don't worry about it. Also if you overfill the washer fluid reservoir it will leak out.

As far as items to check for:
Engine oil
Transmission fluid
Differential fluid
Check suspension components and bushings
General wear items are just good to look at to predict potential repairs later down the line

[Mr Flash]

I would flush the coolant... Replace with distilled water and BMWs coolant (whatever mix it asks for, I don't know if it's premixed or not). Certain coolant can react with the block and cause corrosion.
As far as the blue washer fluid; yes it's usually expensive to get that fixed. If you have the adaptive light package and the washer system that washes the headlights the likely culprit is the actual headlight washer unit. I have a leak there, but it still works, so I don't worry about it. Also if you overfill the washer fluid reservoir it will leak out.

As far as items to check for:
Engine oil
Transmission fluid
Differential fluid
Check suspension components and bushings
General wear items are just good to look at to predict potential repairs later down the line




Thank you so much! I don't think I have the headlight washer package, at least I have no clue if I do or not. When I pull the lever to wash my window it doesn't even 'hum'. Well I don't even hear the pump working, everything is just silent. I'll be checking for all of those things, thank you! As for the reservoir... For sure I didn't overfill, I only had like half gallon left and emptied it all out, now it's all draining out in my opinion...

[Mr Flash]

http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/Mr-Flash/media/20150128_181945_zpsbpabl4fg_1.jpg.html

[MxExTxAxL]

That's definitely a decent sized leak! Hopefully just one. You not knowing much about cars I hope you looked into what you just bought as it will eventually cost you an arm.. maybe a leg.. potentially your first born. They're a little more to maintain than the naturally aspirated inline 6's with bigger brakes, more expensive spark plugs and more frequent spark plug changes, walnut blasting the intake, HPFP problems, turbo related issues, annoyance of limp mode if you get on it too much. I imagine it's not a car to own for those with faint hearts and lighter wallets. Future reference knowledge, get a pre purchase inspection done on any vehicle you buy so you don't get surprised by oil leaks, cooling issues, or other failures as you have. If you still intend to buy the car after an inspection with problems..you can use it as leverage to get the price down or decide that the previous owner didn't maintain the car well enough and move on to the next car.

As for the washer fluid, it's a fairly common issue for the washer pump to crack. It's plastic and located very low on the vehicle (just behind the fender well cover near the bottom), so I can imagine a nice bump/jar can crack it.
If you have heated seats, you have headlight washers.

Try to find a good independent shop around you that specializes in german vehicles. I travel 30 miles for mine, they're great and $50/hr cheaper than the dealer so I save a lot of money going to them and generally have a faster turnaround too.

How many miles are on the vehicle? If approaching 100k you will be looking at various suspension issues and cooling system issues soon.

[Mr Flash]

That's definitely a decent sized leak! Hopefully just one. You not knowing much about cars I hope you looked into what you just bought as it will eventually cost you an arm.. maybe a leg.. potentially your first born. They're a little more to maintain than the naturally aspirated inline 6's with bigger brakes, more expensive spark plugs and more frequent spark plug changes, walnut blasting the intake, HPFP problems, turbo related issues, annoyance of limp mode if you get on it too much. I imagine it's not a car to own for those with faint hearts and lighter wallets. Future reference knowledge, get a pre purchase inspection done on any vehicle you buy so you don't get surprised by oil leaks, cooling issues, or other failures as you have. If you still intend to buy the car after an inspection with problems..you can use it as leverage to get the price down or decide that the previous owner didn't maintain the car well enough and move on to the next car.

As for the washer fluid, it's a fairly common issue for the washer pump to crack. It's plastic and located very low on the vehicle (just behind the fender well cover near the bottom), so I can imagine a nice bump/jar can crack it.
If you have heated seats, you have headlight washers.

Try to find a good independent shop around you that specializes in german vehicles. I travel 30 miles for mine, they're great and $50/hr cheaper than the dealer so I save a lot of money going to them and generally have a faster turnaround too.

How many miles are on the vehicle? If approaching 100k you will be looking at various suspension issues and cooling system issues soon.


Oh good God... I am speechless. Well everything you just said plummeted my hopes lol. On the bright side.... Can I rely on the guy who might be able to weld the leaks shut? I have close to 99k miles. Nothing else really doesn't work. I mean the car is tight, steers well, drives well in general. No rattling no weird noises. Just when I first turn her on the steering makes a little squeal sound when I turn. After it warms up, no squeal at all. My mechanic said it might just need some lube or could be a 'nuckle' in the steering. IDK what that means. Suspension feels great. I mean not like I'm driving in clouds or anything but not horrible at all. I'll try to find a shop that specializes in German vehicles if this guy can't take care of it. He's saying it won't cost much if they could weld it. Apart from that, I'll try to take care of the washer fluid next. Yes, I have heated seats so cool, that's pretty awesome that I have the headlight washers. Apart from that, I think I can do the spark plugs with my friend and I no? He knows more about the car than I do. He has the same exact one just an 09 and he installs his own BOV and what not.

[Pyewacket69]

One doesn't weld oil leaks shut.

Gaskets are replaced to repair oil leaks.

Hope you set aside a few thousand dollars for repairs.

Looks like you're going to need them...

[MxExTxAxL]

I would run far away from a mechanic that wants to weld oil leaks shut.
At 99k, if it has the original water pump you're looking at at least $900 to replace that when it goes. Advice, it will go quite suddenly. It should give a yellow warning about your engine temp, this means immediately find a safe way to pull over in case it goes red. Hopefully you're not beating on the car when it's failing.
I hope the spark plugs have been done at least twice by now. Also, a suspension problem doesn't have to be obvious for it to need to be done. It's also usually not imperative that it's done right away either.
Please find a good mechanic for german vehicles and also leave us the name of the guy who wants to weld your oil leaks shut so we can all avoid potentially using that hack mechanic. Put money aside at all time for repairs and find a good mechanic. A mechanic that has great reviews online about being incredibly honest. Because you have an expensive vehicle to own/maintain and I'm sure some mechanics would love to see you in their shop with how little you know about cars. Best advice I can give you. That and pre purchase inspections next time. Maybe bring your dad to repairs too if he knows anything about cars.

[Mr Flash]

One doesn't weld oil leaks shut.

Gaskets are replaced to repair oil leaks.

Hope you set aside a few thousand dollars for repairs.



Looks like you're going to need them...


-Sigh- You MUST replace the gaskets?
What if I try to get a new oil pan if that's the problem? Which I highly doubt myself now. Or can it just be a small leak that has been there for a long time?
Thinking about it welding doesn't make any sense now.. I just hope this doesn't turn into a big mess. I might just trade her back in or sell her or something :(

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I would run far away from a mechanic that wants to weld oil leaks shut.
At 99k, if it has the original water pump you're looking at at least $900 to replace that when it goes. Advice, it will go quite suddenly. It should give a yellow warning about your engine temp, this means immediately find a safe way to pull over in case it goes red. Hopefully you're not beating on the car when it's failing.
I hope the spark plugs have been done at least twice by now. Also, a suspension problem doesn't have to be obvious for it to need to be done. It's also usually not imperative that it's done right away either.
Please find a good mechanic for german vehicles and also leave us the name of the guy who wants to weld your oil leaks shut so we can all avoid potentially using that hack mechanic. Put money aside at all time for repairs and find a good mechanic. A mechanic that has great reviews online about being incredibly honest. Because you have an expensive vehicle to own/maintain and I'm sure some mechanics would love to see you in their shop with how little you know about cars. Best advice I can give you. That and pre purchase inspections next time. Maybe bring your dad to repairs too if he knows anything about cars.

I see what you're saying.. This is all like a nightmare about to happen if it goes bad. I don't beat on the car at all at the moment.. And honestly I'm gonna make sure I don't so I can have time to save before anything happens. Can I buy spark plugs from the dealer? They seem relatively simple to install, I know I'll need that special 12 sided key or something like that. Lol I'll definitely find out his name. It's a friend that suggested him to me. I'll be researching local mechanics then for sure. And my father doesn't know much about these cars. He was into cars a long time ago. Now he just tells me to make sure and check on this that and the other.

[Pyewacket69]

I don't mean to scare you, but I suspect there's a high likelihood that you're going to get an expensive education on owning a car...

And, yes, leaking gaskets call for replacement.

[MxExTxAxL]

You can buy spark plugs from the dealer. You can buy them from most parts stores as well which I recommend if you can. Just make sure they're OEM. I also would not do spark plugs if you do not have a torque wrench because they need to be tightened to a specific lb/ft of Tq. Also the coils are very fragile so you bump one too hard and you're buying new ones.
I just fear you're going to be a huge target to a dishonest mechanic with a car like that.

[Mr Flash]

I don't mean to scare you, but I suspect there's a high likelihood that you're going to get an expensive education on owning a car...

And, yes, leaking gaskets call for replacement.

I have a strong feeling that I'm learning the VERY hard way already... My tire is about to blow out and this oil leak is on my mind...

Alright I'll be taking her to my mechanic this weekend to see if we can find where it's coming from...

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You can buy spark plugs from the dealer. You can buy them from most parts stores as well which I recommend if you can. Just make sure they're OEM. I also would not do spark plugs if you do not have a torque wrench because they need to be tightened to a specific lb/ft of Tq. Also the coils are very fragile so you bump one too hard and you're buying new ones.
I just fear you're going to be a huge target to a dishonest mechanic with a car like that.

I want to thank you for all your insight. I think I'll just buy them then and take them to my mechanic for now, if I don't find a specialized one. He really helps me out and his prices are incredibly fair. With my old car he installed 4 new tires, aligned them, and checked overall brakes and things like that for like $60. I was so happy in fact I gave him $80

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This is another picture, closer to where the exhaust is...
http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/Mr-Flash/media/20150128_181953_zps83pqtzsb.jpg.html

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Another place where I decided to take a picture...
http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/Mr-Flash/media/20150128_184654_zpsdoifbqbx.jpg.html

[wildcatcrazy]

You can pull the engine cover off and see if the valve cover gasket is leaking, or maybe the valve cover itself is cracked. Both are common. The gasket dry rots and needs to be replaced at/around 50k miles.

[Mr Flash]

You can pull the engine cover off and see if the valve cover gasket is leaking, or maybe the valve cover itself is cracked. Both are common. The gasket dry rots and needs to be replaced at/around 50k miles.

I WISH that would be the problem!!! I'll be checking that as soon as I can! Thank you for your insight!

[Pilgrim]

You're talking about oil pans and tires and other stuff...sounds like you're throwing ideas against the wall. And you have another thread about the oil leak in which you're getting rather excited and speculative. And people are telling you about everything that COULD go wrong, not that WILL go wrong.

Stop. Calm down. One thing at a time!

Nothing you've written about is a crisis. Take your time, get to know the vehicle, and start learning about how cars work. If you don't know a weld from a gasket, you BADLY need a mechanic who is familiar with German cars and who is honest. You're out of your depth on mechanical issues, you're not going to catch up with the car by speculating, and you need good local advice. You also need to use this and other forums to search for info instead of asking every question all over.

I'd start with learning how to flush and replace the coolant. That is a relatively simple operation. You should also pay attention to the fact that the coolant was low, because that doesn't happen without a reason. Look for signs of coolant leakage; if you don't find them, get the system flushed and re-filled, then keep an eye on it.

Oil leak? You can feed it oil for years and not hurt a thing. Oil is cheap compared to engines. While you learn about the car, work on this but don't get OCD about it...just keep the oil level up by adding as needed.

If you want a personal victory, find the washer coolant leak, read up on how to fix it, and tackle that one. It's a non-critical assembly and you won't hurt the car by messing with it.

[Mr Flash]

You're talking about oil pans and tires and other stuff...sounds like you're throwing ideas against the wall. And you have another thread about the oil leak in which you're getting rather excited and speculative. And people are telling you about everything that COULD go wrong, not that WILL go wrong.

Stop. Calm down. One thing at a time!


Nothing you've written about is a crisis. Take your time, get to know the vehicle, and start learning about how cars work. If you don't know a weld from a gasket, you BADLY need a mechanic who is familiar with German cars and who is honest. You're out of your depth on mechanical issues, you're not going to catch up with the car by speculating, and you need good local advice. You also need to use this and other forums to search for info instead of asking every question all over.

I'd start with learning how to flush and replace the coolant. That is a relatively simple operation. You should also pay attention to the fact that the coolant was low, because that doesn't happen without a reason. Look for signs of coolant leakage; if you don't find them, get the system flushed and re-filled, then keep an eye on it.

Oil leak? You can feed it oil for years and not hurt a thing. Oil is cheap compared to engines. While you learn about the car, work on this but don't get OCD about it...just keep the oil level up by adding as needed.

If you want a personal victory, find the washer coolant leak, read up on how to fix it, and tackle that one. It's a non-critical assembly and you won't hurt the car by messing with it.


You're absolutely right.. I'm very scared and worried that something might break down but now that you've told me and explained I'm much more relaxed now.. See I didn't know that it won't turn into a big deal if I took my time to take care of it. We did the coolant flush and now I know how to do it! :D As for the possibility of there being a leak, I'll have to look into that as well. I'll be trying to solve the washer leak.. It honestly would make me happy if I can do that. I'm pretty sure if I put my mind to it I can do it. Thank you for the motivation :)

[Pilgrim]

If there's a coolant leak, it will show up by coolant level dropping. Just check weekly..but don't be surprised if the level drops a bit at first as air works its way out of the system. Same for oil level. A small oil leak looks bad but actually doesn't waste much oil, and like I said, it's cheap. BMW owners may obsess about letting oil drip off their pretty engines, but functionally a small oil leak is no big deal. It's an engine, not a dinner plate - oil on the outside isn't a disaster unless it's going fast.

Start a record book (you must get one for each car anyway) and keep careful records of oil added, tire rotation, maintenance, etc. A car is a machine, and machines need maintenance. Your records will provide documentation of how the car is performing and wearing over time.

My favorite record book is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/At---Glance-Auto-Record-Black/dp/B002XK63XI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422724446&sr=8-2&keywords=auto+record+book

It's silly expensive but I've never found one I like better, and it's a reasonable expense to keep records on your car's oil consumption, maintenance, tire rotation, gas mileage, etc.

Hah! Walmart has it for $3 less: http://www.walmart.com/ip/At-A-Glance-Auto-Record-Book-3-3-4-x-6-1-8-Black/19528154

[Mr Flash]

If there's a coolant leak, it will show up by coolant level dropping. Just check weekly..but don't be surprised if the level drops a bit at first as air works its way out of the system. Same for oil level. A small oil leak looks bad but actually doesn't waste much oil, and like I said, it's cheap. BMW owners may obsess about letting oil drip off their pretty engines, but functionally a small oil leak is no big deal. It's an engine, not a dinner plate - oil on the outside isn't a disaster unless it's going fast.

Start a record book (you must get one for each car anyway) and keep careful records of oil added, tire rotation, maintenance, etc. A car is a machine, and machines need maintenance. Your records will provide documentation of how the car is performing and wearing over time.

My favorite record book is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/At---Glance-Auto-Record-Black/dp/B002XK63XI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422724446&sr=8-2&keywords=auto+record+book

It's silly expensive but I've never found one I like better, and it's a reasonable expense to keep records on your car's oil consumption, maintenance, tire rotation, gas mileage, etc.

Hah! Walmart has it for $3 less: http://www.walmart.com/ip/At-A-Glance-Auto-Record-Book-3-3-4-x-6-1-8-Black/19528154

Hmmm... I don't think I have a coolant leak... And I don't know how to measure the oil... There's no dip stick that I know of.. And since the guy had sprayed it clean (the oil leak) she hasn't dropped a DROP since... So it's probable REAL small or idk o.0 The window washer liquid however I saw on the white snow it had turned blue so IK that's leaking somewhere.. I'll be checking it as soon as the weather gets better and buying and replacing it by myself soon :D

That's a very smart idea.. I never thought about it honestly. I'll be looking into that one in the near future, thank you so much!

[Pyewacket69]

If you're really interested in learning about working on cars, check around to see if a technical school nearby offers evening classes in light mechanics. One near my location does, and I've met several folks that have attended them. They teach the basics... Oil/filter changes, brake replacement, etc. The cost of these classes is usually minimal.

[Mr Flash]

If you're really interested in learning about working on cars, check around to see if a technical school nearby offers evening classes in light mechanics. One near my location does, and I've met several folks that have attended them. They teach the basics... Oil/filter changes, brake replacement, etc. The cost of these classes is usually minimal.

I would love to do that... However I have absolutely no time on my hands. I'm busy with work, school, and back and forth to the hospital for my wife :(